Sepp Blatter: England were 'bad losers' over 2018 bid

Moment of truth: FIFA president Sepp Blatter reveals the 2018 hosts: Russia. England secured only two votes despite a long and expensive campaign

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has described England as "bad losers" over the fall-out from the failed 2018 World Cup bid.

England secured just two of the 22 FIFA members' votes and were knocked out in the first round while Russia went on to triumph.

Bid leaders later claimed members had broken their promises to give them their backing during the ballot, but Blatter insists that is not the case.

"To be honest, I was surprised by all the English complaining after the defeat. England, of all people, the motherland of fairplay ideas," Blatter told Swiss magazine Weltwoche in an interview which will be published in full tomorrow.

"Now some of them are showing themselves to be bad losers.

"You can't come afterwards and say so-and-so promised to vote for England. The results are known. The outcome came out clearly."